Christian McCaffrey is one of the most influential veterans on the San Francisco 49ers’ offense. Kyle Shanahan’s team decided to give him a day off to avoid overloading his preparation, but according to Klay Kubiak, the running back will have no issues at the start of the NFL season.
“He’s a little sore, but he’s doing fine, so we’ll just kind of manage him as we go,” the Offensive Coordinator said during his press conference. Overworking certain players during this stage of the 2026 training camp could be detrimental, and there is no need to take that risk.
“Christian always kind of has his rep count in any camp,” Kubiak also added. “You guys are aware of the adjustments we’ve made to our schedule to kind of keep them from having too many off days.
“But in terms of his rep load, we’re right on track with where we want to be. And, he’s a veteran player, so you have to monitor him and get him ready for the first week.” San Francisco will make its debut against the Los Angeles Rams on September 10 in Australia.
Christian McCaffrey #23 of the San Francisco 49ers works out during training camp.
Injuries, 49ers’ Achilles’ heel
The San Francisco 49ers suffered a brutal wave of injuries throughout their 2025 campaign, losing key starters on both sides of the ball for extended stretches. George Kittle missed six regular-season games with soft-tissue and ankle injuries before tragically tearing his Achilles tendon in the playoffs, while star linebacker Fred Warner played through a severe injury that ultimately sidelined him late in the year.
To make matters worse heading into the offseason, Kyle Shanahan confirmed that wide receiver Ricky Pearsall will undergo knee surgery to repair a meniscus tear sustained in the regular-season finale, capping off a nightmare medical stretch for the franchise.
George Kittle #85 of the San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco’s important backfield
It is clear that coach Shanahan has Christian McCaffrey as his main presence in the backfield in the Bay Area. Beyond him, this team’s depth chart promises to be an important source of help for Brock Purdy.
- Jordan James
- Kaelon Black
- Isaac Guerendo
- Khalil Herbert
- Patrick Taylor Jr.
- Sincere McCormick
